Panel-aligning bracket assembly for concrete forms



Feb. 19, 1963 B. HILLBERG 3,077,652

PANEL-ALIGNING BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE FORMS Filed April 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N INVENToR.

'non HILLBERG AT1-Y.

Feb. 19, 1963 B. HILLBERG 3,077,652

PANEL-ALIGNING BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR CONCRETE FORMS Filed April 8, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 e?. fila 50 44 I 1 'so 2 32 44 JNVENToR.

22 47 467862 Run 78 47 228ml Human; 24 4 BY ai@ z PANEL-ALICNINC BRACKET ASSEMBLY FCR CONCRETE FRMs Filed April 8, 1960 B. HILLBERG Feb. 19, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Baan Hwang 1, M Arrv.

s i i PANEL-ALIGNHNG BRACKET ASSEMBLY FR CNCRE'EE FRMS Brot' Hillherg, Elmwood Park, ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Superior loncrete Accessories, lne., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 8, 1964i, Ser. No. 29,856 l (Ilaim. (Ci. Zal-tt) The present invention relates to concrete wall forms of the panel type wherein the opposed wall forms are each constructed of a group of rectangular panels assembled in edge-to-edge relationship with the wet concrete being poured into the space existing between the walls, and with the two walls being connected by combined tie and spreader devices to prevent the walls from bulging under the thrust of the wet concrete. The panels commonly employed in .this type of concrete wall form consist of facings of plywood against which the wet concrete lies, and stiffening and strengthening frames of wood which are applied to the outer sides of the facings. Such strengthening frames include marginal horizontal and vertical members and intermediate cross bars which may extend either vertically or horizontally and which are connected at their ends to either the horizontal or the Vertical marginal frame members.

The present invention has particular reference to a novel panel-aligning bracket assembly by means of which four adjacent interiitting rectangular panel corner regions of any given panel assembly arranged in quadrangular relationship may be initially brought into proper alignment so that the four panel facings will assume their normal coplanar relationship, and be maintained in such alignment during concrete pouring operations and hardening or setting of the concrete.

Briey, the invention contemplates the provision of a series of four identical metal alignment plates, one for each of the adjacent interfitting corner regions of the four panel units. Each alignment plate is adapted to be nailed to its respective panel unit on the outer side thereof, i.e. on the side remote from the panel facing, the plates, when so nailed, being similarly disposed relative to the panel units to which they are secured. Each alignment plate, when properly nailed to its respective panel unit in a corner region thereof, presents a planar gauge surface which is parallel to the panel facing. Thus, since the alignment plates are identical, and since the adjacent corner regions of the four panel units are likewise identical, movement of the four planar gauge surfaces into coplanar relationship will cause accurate panel alignment so that the four panel facings will be disposed in coplanar relationship. After the alignment plates have been nailed in their proper positions to the panel units, the four planar gauge surfaces are forcibly brought into coplanar relationship by means of a single cooperating alignment or template member which functions in the manner of a key and, by a wedging action, serves, when driven to its home position, to lock the four alignment plates in such positions that the various gauge surfaces lie in a common plane.

Except for the nails which are employed for securing the four alignment plates on the panel units, the four plates and their common template key constitute the tive elements which cooperate to make up the bracket panelaligning bracket assembly of the present invention. The principal function of this bracket assembly is one of panel-alignment, although each of the four alignment plates which cooperate to make up the assembly serves in a measure to reinforce the corner region of the panel unit to which it is applied. in concrete form assemblies of this general character, it is, of course, necessary to draw Patented Feb. 19, 1963 the adjacent panel units together both vertically and horizontally, but the panel-aligning bracket assembly of the present invention makes no provision for panel drawing operations, its sole principal function being one of panel alignment.

The provision of panel aligning bracket assembly of `the character briefly outlined above being among the principal objects of the present invention, it is a further object to provide such an assembly which requires for its initial application to the various panel units, as Well as for its final panel-alignment function, but one single tool, namely an ordinary hammer.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a panel-aligning bracket assembly of this character which may be applied in position on the panel units and thereafter operatively manipulated without requiring any particular degree of skill, thus eliminating the necessity of employing skilled labor for its application.

Yet another object is to provide such a panel-aligning bracket assembly wherein all of the component parts thereof are in the form of metal stampings, thus contributing toward economy of manufacture.

Another and important object of the invention is to provide a panel-aligning bracket assembly including component parts which are interchangeable with corresponding parts of `other assemblies. Stated in other words, it is an object to provide a panel-aligning bracket assembly which may be made up in the field from parts which are shipped in bulk so that it is not necessary to preassemble or predesignate the component parts of each assembly. Specifically, since each assembly is comprised of but four identical alignment plates and one cooperating template key, as previously described, a large number of the alignment plates may be packaged in bulk and a smaller number of the template keys may similarly be packaged. The two bulk assemblages are then made available in the field for indiscriminate selection for the purposes of making up the individual panel-aligning bracket assemblies.

The provision of a panel-aligning bracket assembly which is simple in its construction; one which is rugged and durable and which therefore will withstand rough usage; one which is capable of repeated use; one in which the component parts thereof are capable of compact nesting for shipping purposes; and one which, otherwise, is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further desirable features which have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings forming a part of this specification, one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been shown.

In these drawings:

PEG. l is a fragmentary perspective view of one side of a concrete wall form showing a number of preassembled panel units maintained in their operative positions of panel alignment, utilizing panel-aligning bracket-assemblies constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the Wall form shown in FIG. l in the vicinity of four adjacent panel unit corner regions;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

HG. 4 is a sectional View taken substantially along the line fi-fi of FlG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alignment plate forming one element of the panel-aligning bracket -assembly;

PEG. 6 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 5, viewing the alignment plate from a different angle;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a template key ernployed in connection with the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a blank from which the alignment plate of FIGS. and 6 is formed.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, a fragmentary portion o-f a composite wall form of conventional construction has been illustrated herein and designated 4in its entirety at 10. The Wall form 10 is made up of ya pair of opposed panel unit assemblies, only one such assembly being shown. It will be understood that the other assembly is of a similar nature and is disposed in spaced parallel relationship, with the two assemblies being maintained in their spaced relationship by conventional tie and spreader assemblies (not shown) which serve initially to prevent inward collapsing of the form and which, after the concrete has been poured between the opposed panel unit assemblies, serve to prevent outward bulging of the form. Each of the two assemblies is comprised of a plurality of panel units 12, adjacent units being arranged in edgeto-edge relationship. The individual panel units 12 selected for illustration are, in the main, conventional in their design except for certain rabbeting of frame members .in a manner that will be described presently. Each unit 12 is comprise-d of a rectangular plywood facing 14 having aixed theretormarginal vertical frame members 16 and marginal horizontal frame members 18, these marginal frame members serving to stiten and otherwise rein-torce the plywood facing. The marginal frame members 16 and 1S may rbe in` the form of ordinary wooden board lengths which are secured to the outside face of the panel facing 14 and to one another at their adjacent ends. Filler blocks 19 at each corner of the unit 12 complete the marginal frame assembly.

When the various panel units 12 are assembled to produce the two composite sides of the concrete form installation, adjacent panel units are brought into edge-toedge relationship so that the plywood Vfacings 14 are substantiallyfcoplanar 4with their inside surfaces presenting a substantially smooth interior against which the wet concrete lies after concrete pouring operations. The vertical and horizontal frame Imembers 16' and 18 respectively become juxtapositioned as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 with certa-in panel groups being arranged in contiguity so that four of the corner regions thereof merge in radial quadrangular fashion as clearly shown in the enlargement of- FIG. 2. The panel-aligning bracket assembly of the present invention is designed to maintain such contiguous corner regions inV such edge-to-edge alignment so that the outward thrust of the wet concrete under the influence of; gravitational forces will not displace one such corner region toa greater extent than anyl other such corner region.

In FIG. 1, two complete bracket assemblies and a portion of a third such assembly have been illustrated and each assembly has been designated in its entirety at 20. Each assembly overlies one of the radially-converging corner regions involving four adjacent panels 12. Each panel-aligning bracket assembly involves in its general organization ve principal'parts including four identical alignment plates 22 one of which has been illustrated in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, and a template key 24'which has been illustrated in detail in FIG. 7. Since the plates 22 are identical, a description of one of them willsuttice yfor them all.

As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, each alignment plate 22is generally of L-shape design, it being in the nature of a corner iitting adapted to be nailed to a corner region of the panel unit and, when so nailed, to assume a position on the outside of the unit. The alignment plate 22 includes a at generally L-shaped plate body 26 having substantially straight linear inside edges 28y and 30 respectively and similarly straight outside edges which are turned laterally at an angle of 90 to provide a pair of anges. 32 and 34 respectively. The llange 3-2 overlaps the adjacent end edge 36 of the ange 34 `and has its end edge 33 flush with the outside Vface of the flange 34 as best seen in FIG. 6.

As clearly shown in FIG. 2, the edges 28 and 30 `do not intersect but instead they terminate short of each other and are separated by a pair of notches dit) between which there is formed a reentrant tongue structure including a tongue base d2 which is coplanar with the plate body 26, an upstanding web portion 44 and a tongue proper t6 which overlies and is spaced from the plate body 26 thus providing an inwardly facing surface or shoulder 47. The distal end of the tongue proper 46 is rounded as at 43.

A series of three countersunk nail holes 50 are formed in the plate body 25, one such hole being provided at the region of juncture between the -diverging legs of the body and the other two being disposed near the distal ends of the legs respectively. Two additional nail holes 52 are provided in the flanges 32 and 34 respectively.

In FIG. 8, a blank 53 from which one of the alignment plates 22 is formed has been .shown in plan. To avoid needless repetition of description, identical reference numerals have been applied to the portions of the blank that have been applied to the corresponding portions of the completed alignment plate 22. The lines along which the blank is bent to produce the finished alignment plate have been shown dotted, the lines for the. ilanges 32 and 34 being shown at a and b respectively, and the lines for the tongue 42, 414,- 46 being shown at c and d. It is to be noted in connectionwith the disclosure of FIG. 8 that the blank is notched as at 54 to accommodate the previously mentioned overlapping of the end region of the llange 3/2. across the end edge 36 of the flange 34.

Where, in the erected form structure, a given panel is bounded on all four edges thereof by an adjacent panel, such a given panel is adapted to have applied thereto four of the alignment plates 22, one plate being applied to each-corner region of the panel. If the panel is bounded on three adjacent sides only by similar panels, then only two alignment plates need be applied thereto. A single alignment plate will be applied to such panels as are bounded only on two adjacent sides by similar panels. Stated in other words, the various alignment plates 22 are not useful independently, in pairs, or in groups of three. They are useful only in groups of four and in combination with one of the templateV keys 24, at which time the entire assembly of ve parts constitutes one of the alignment bracket assemblies 20.

In applying one of the alignment plates 22 to a panel unit 12, the plate is telescoped, so to. speak, over a corner region of the unit by placing the L-shaped plate body 26 dat against the outer faces of a pair of adjacent'vertical and horizontal frame members 16 and 18 respectively at their region of juncture so that the two laterallyy turned flanges 32 and 34 overlie the side faces Stiy and 58 (FIG. 6) respectively ofthe meeting end regions of the adjacent frame members 16 and 18 at the corner region of the panel unit. In order that the outer faces of the anges 32 and 34 shall lie flush with the sideV faces 56 and 5S respectively of the frame members 16 and 18, these `side faces may be rabbeted as at 60 to accommodate positioning of the anges 32 and 34 in such a manner. After the alignment plate 22 is thus positioned on the corner region of the unit 12, nails 62 are driven through the various holes 50 and 52 to secure the plate in position.

When four of the panel units 12 are brought into juxtaposition as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the panel facings in substantially coplanar relationship, four of the alignment plates 22 will assume the nested quadrangular relationship illustrated in these views with the various tongues 46 presenting a square pattern wherein the reentrant tongues are all directed inwardly at angles of with respect to one another toward a common center with each tongue extending from the inside corner of its respective L-shaped plate toward the outsidel corner thereof. The distance between the inside face of each tongue proper 46 and the underlying opposed face of the alignment plate body 26 is substantially equal to the thickness of the template key 24 so that when such key is inserted between the four tongues and their respective plate bodies, the four plate bodies will become aligned incoplanar fashion, thus automatically aligning the plywood panel facings of the four adjacent panel units 12, all in a manner that will be made clear presently.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the template key 24 is in the form of a length of flat metal plate stock which is turned laterally as at 70 to provide an elongated rectangular at key body 72 and a manipulating and impact flange 74. The distal end region of the key body 72 is tapered as at 76 to facilitate guiding of this end region underneath the tongues 46 when the key is operatively applied to the four nested alignment plates 22. The opposite side edges 78 of the key body 62 are recessed as at Si) so that in applying the key to the alignment plates 22 the same may be placed flush against the four outside faces of the plate bodies 26 with the recesses 86 in register with the two of the reentrant tongues 46 as shown at the left hand side of FIG. 1 preparatory to driving the key to its home position wherein it assumes the position shown at the right hand side of this view with the impact ange 74 being limited in its downward movement by the uppermost tongues 46. The recesses Si! are not essential to the proper positioning or functioning of the template key 24, but they facilitate its application to the four nested alignment plates 22 in that, because of them, it is unnecessary to insert the key into the channel-like space provided for it between the various tongues 46 and the opposed faces of the respective plate bodies 26 by driving the key through the entire channel distance. The signiicance of the two recesses Sil may be explained by stating that at the time of installation of the key 24, it frequently happens that one or both of the lower or underlying panel units 12 will be misaligned with one or both of the upper or overlying panel units so that one or two corner regions of the lower panel units will project outwardly beyond the general plane of the form assembly and present an obstruction to downward movement of the key in the channel-like space provided for it between the various tongues 46 and plate bodies 26. Under such circumstances it would be impossible for the key to exert the necessary strickle elect on the various plate bodies to bring them into alignment during driving of the key downwardly since the leading edge 82 of the key body 72 would encounter one or both of the protruding alignment plate edges. Because the recesses 8@ in the side edges 7 8 will permit the key body 72 to initially be positioned in overlapping relationship relative to all four of the adjacent alignment plate bodies as clearly shown at the left hand side of FIG. l, the phenomenon exhibited by the movement of the key 24 downwardly under the influence of impact on the tiange 74 is a wedging action rather than a strickle function and the four alignment plate bodies 26 are, during such downward movement of the key, drawn forcibly into accurate alignment.

It is to be noted at this point that the only tool which is required for the proper installation of the Various panel-aligning bracket assemblies is an ordinary carpenters hammer. It should also be noted that to dismantle the concrete form after the concrete has become set, it is merely necessary to drive the various template keys 24 upwardly, utilizing the impact tianges 74 for impact purposes. Removal of the keys is therefore merely a reversal of the installation operation. After the keys 24 have thus been removed, the panel units are capable of ea-sy separation. The various alignment bracket plates 22 may be left nailed to the panel units so that these units may be reused in a subsequent installation without alteration or adjustment of any sort. yOnly the template keys require removal and, since these template keys are interchangeable in the various assemblies, as are the individual alignment plates, the labor required for any given installation is materially simplied.

Finally, it is to be noted that although in the various views of the drawings the template key 24 is described as having been driven to its home position by the positioning thereof in a vertical attitude of orientation between the two pairs of vertically aligned tongues 46 and thereafter driving the key downwardly under the influence of an impacting force, it should be appreciated that because the four alignment plates 22 are identical and because each plate is symmetrical on opposite sides of a 45 plane bisecting the apex of the plate, the template key 24 may be inserted between the pairs of horizontally aligned tongues 46 and driven in either direction horizontally to a home position. Under certain circumstances the key may be inverted from the position in which it is shown in FIG. 2 and driven upwardly to a home position. Ordinarily however the positioning of the key for downward driving movement will be resorted to but the other suggested methods of installation may be resorted to in instances, for example, Where an obstruction prevents access to the impact ange 74 by the impact tool or otherwise prevents normal operation of such tool.

While one specific embodiment of a panel-aligning bracket assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention has been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that the illustrated form of the invention does not indicate all the different forms of assembly suitable for the functions intended. The form illustrated is only one of those which have been developed for commercial application. For example, the bracket assembly shown and described herein has been designed for application to the rear faces and sides of the vertical and horizontal marginal wooden frame members associated with one specific type of panel unit. Where panel units of the type commonly known as all-ply units and which have no marginal frame members associated therewith are employed, the lateral side flanges 32 and 34 of the various alignment plates 22 may be omitted and the nail holes 50 provided in the plate body 26 may, in combination with the nails which are passed therethrough, will constitute the sole attachment means for applying the alignment plates to the nested corner regions of adjacent panel units.

The invention therefore is not to be limited to the precise arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this speciication as various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. Only insofar as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claim is the same to be limited.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A bracket -assembly for initially aligning four adjacent interftting right angle corner regions associated with respective concrete wall form panels disposed in edge-toedge relationship, said bracket `assembly including four identical dat L-shaped alignment plates, each having converging legs which extend at a right angle to each other, said plates having attachment holes therein to facilitate attachment thereof to the other sides of respective corner regions with the outer side edges of said legs in transverse alignment and contiguity with the converging side edges of the corner regions, each plate being formed with an offset reentrant tongue at the inside corner of the plate and spaced outwardly from the general plane of the plate and presenting an inwardly facing shoulder overlying the outer side of the plate, the longitudinal axis of said tongue lying in a plane which extends normal to the general plane of the plate and which bisects the angle of convergence of the side edges of the plate, said tongue extending in a direction wherein the distal end thereof faces the apex of said angle, and a removable template key common to all of said plates and extending between the various shoulders and the outer sides of the respective plates, said template key presenting oppositely yfacing surfacesI in bridging contact' withY said` outer` sides' of the plates and with. the shoulders onthe plates and serving to draw saidouter sides. of the plates into coplanarV relationship and maintain them in such coplanar'relationship, said-template key being in the form of; a lat elongated plate 01Ey a thickness substantially equal to the distance betvveenthe'sholders' and the outer sides of the plates, the opposite side edges of said` elongated plate' being formed with a pair of opposed inwardly extending recesses affording clearance regionsV for certain` of the tongues whereby the template key may be applied to the outer sides of the'alignment plates in bridging relationship' prior to the forcible driving thereof between the'shoulders and saidouter sides` References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Diamond June23; 1908-. Merriett May 4,1915V Geraerdts` Nov. 13, 1917 McKenna Oet.'7, 1924 Takach Oct. 15, 1940 Banneyer May ll-, 1954. Roberts Oct; 112, 1954 FOREIGNV PATENTS France May 27, 1953 Switzerland V Jan-.31, 1958y Canada Dec.,9, 1958 

